The School Play
by Zeezee Croox
Summary: ..."That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The teenage boy continued. The teachers were soothed by the boy's acting, and as his audition got longer, the educators considered him to be in a female role more and more... Pairing: Lancelot/Artie
1. CHAPTER ONE: THE AUDITIONS

**Chapter 1: The Auditions**

"William Shakespeare was a poet, an author, and an actor," Mr. Fletcher explained as he wrote the poet's name on the board.

He was a very plump fellow, his hair was rather thin, and he had a deep mellow voice. When he turned around, he met bored and uninterested eyes from most of the students like Guinevere who was chewing gum and was pampering her fingernails, and the only people who looked interested were two nerds. Xavier and Gary to be exact. Xavier tried to stop his nose from bleeding and Gary played with his braces while listening to the teacher.

Mr. Fletcher ignored the eyes and continued, "He was born on the twenty-sixth of April of year fifteen ninety-four. He died at age fifty-two on April twenty-three of year sixteen-sixteen. He was married to Anne Hathaway, and he had three children named…"

Arthur was already tired of listening to the lesson. Instead, he glanced around, looking for something interesting. He _did_ find something interesting. Guinevere. He rested his chin on his hand while his elbow was resting on his table as he studied his 'beloved'.

Guinevere had long, twisted nougat hair that was pinned up untidily, her skin was fair, she had petite hands, her rosy cheeks were endearing, her stunning eyes almost melted Arthur, her lips were full and kissable, and she had a very slim figure. Sure, there were freckles here and there, but it just added points to her beauty. However, when you observed what's inside of her, you'd cover your nose, for she smelt of rotten eggs. She's snobbish, and arrogant; if you don't want to get verbally bullied, don't go near this young woman. But that didn't matter to Arthur, for she 'Is the fairest maiden of them all' (Snow White already claimed that title). That's what Arthur thought.

Then, Arthur felt someone pierce a glare at him that made his emotion of 'love' drain away. He turned his head to the left; no one was looking at him, but when he turned to the right, he saw Lancelot gaze at him with eagle eyes that said, _'Stay away from Gwen or else.' _He punched his palm as a threat to Arthur. Poor Artie. He always got bruises from the jousting team. Artie quickly turned his head to the board, and sat straight. He tried to ignore Lancelot's intent look, but Artie barely succeeded. It felt like eternity when the school bell rang from the east wing.

"Class, I have an announcement," Mr. Fletcher started as he put the chalk down, "The reason why I taught you this lesson is because there is a school play in a few months. It is called 'Romeo and Juliet'." Everyone started to murmur with curiosity. The plump man tapped on the board to silence everyone.

"I'll be handing out scripts. The whole student body will have their own too." He said as he grabbed a stack of scripts on his desk. Then, he handed them out one by one. When Arthur got his script, he flipped the pages. He stopped flipping the pages and read a few lines.

_O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?  
>Deny thy father, and refuse thy name,<br>Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,  
>And I'll no longer be a Capulet.<em>

He flipped the script to another page, and continued reading.

_…Here's to my love! [Drinks] O true apothec'ry,  
>Thy drugs are quick. [Kisses her] Thus with a kiss I die. [Dies]<em>

Artie raised his left eyebrow. Dying for your beloved? Artie thought that it was so overrated. He thought that dying for someone is a waste of time, because he thought that Gwen wouldn't even care, but half of his brain thought that it was worth a shot. A really dumb shot.

"The whole student body is required to be at the gym in the south wing after this session for the auditions." Mr. Fletcher stated as he sat down and arranged test papers. Some of the students at the back groaned. Artie didn't want to audition, because he knew that he won't get a part, even if it's one of the extras.

"Oh, and one more thing," The plump man pressed his palms firmly on his desk, and leaned his upper body on the desk, "If you don't audition, you will not get a grade. If you get a part, you'll have plus points." Artie sighed and leaned on his chair.

'At least it's for a grade…' Arthur thought. Then, everyone stood up, and headed out the door. Students, especially Lancelot, shoved Artie away to make their way through the halls. He got used to that, but he never liked it. He wished that he would at least be a link higher in this 'food chain', but alas, he was lower than Nosebleed and Headgear. Little did Artie know that this play would change his life forever.

* * *

><p>"O Romeo, Romeo," Guinevere blew a bubble, popped it, and continued earning a confused stare from the headmaster, "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" She finished. Her voice sounded overconfident like she was going to get the role of Juliet; however, she was too proud to pay attention to her acting. Long story short, she sucked. However, Arthur didn't care, because when Gwen was under a spotlight, she looked so blooming. Artie almost drooled all over the floor.<p>

The whole student body was sitting on the bleachers while they waited for each one to finish their audition. Then, Artie felt someone slap the back of his head with a script. He turned around, and saw Lancelot with Lionel and Bohort cackling with each other cruelly behind him.

"Hey worm, you think you'll get a chance to go out with my girlfriend?" Lancelot asked. Artie knew it was a rhetorical question, so he didn't answer, and waited for Lance to answer for the said worm.

"Well, you don't! So stop dreaming about it!" Lance finished as he laughed with his teammates once more. Artie hated it. He hated not getting a chance to date Gwen, hated Lance, hated being mocked, hated his appearance, hated being the jousting dummy, hated his father, and hated this school, but he couldn't do anything but suck it up and put up with it. He ignored the jousting team's ruckus, and turned his attention to the stage.

"Um, Guinevere…" Principal Pynchley was intervened by Gwen's conceited yapping.

"I know. I'm perfect to be Juliet, right?" Gwen put her left hand on her hip as she blew another bubble. She popped it as Principal Pynchley and two other teachers looked at each other. The two teachers, namely Mr. Fletcher and Mrs. Bennett, shuffled on their seats while Mr. Pynchley cleared his throat.

"Well, Gwen, we will tell everyone who will get which role, and who will not have a role tomorrow morning. You may go now." The headmaster left it at that. Gwen stepped down the stage, and strutted to the exit. And as always, she looked snobby.

"Next student please." Mrs. Bennett announced. She looked like she was in her 40's, she had ginger hair (But she had a few strands of white hair here and there), her lips were thin, her nose was pointy, her eyes were green, her skin was a little wrinkly, and she was wearing an olive dress that was quite plain.

"Well, it's my turn to shine." Lancelot said pompously. He pushed Artie aside indifferently as he made his way down the bleachers and to the stage. Artie let out a little pained sound and rubbed his right arm. Lancelot never cared for people's feelings, specifically Artie. Artie never knew why Lancelot hated him so much. The 'worm' didn't even do anything to the jousting captain when the blonde got to Worcestershire Academy. What a cruel world.

"Go on, Lance," Mr. Fletcher insisted. He was a skinny fellow who had a long black beard, and he was wearing a tangerine robe. Artie didn't like Mr. Fletcher that much. Artie liked Mr. Merlin better, because he was the only family Artie had. Mr. Merlin was the only person who understood the teenage boy. But now, Mr. Merlin got fired, because people thought he was crazy. Artie didn't have anything anymore.

Artie guided his gaze to the stage, and observed Lance. The jousting captain straightened his body as he put his right foot in front of the left. He scanned the bleachers to see if the ladies were paying attention. He winked at the girls, and as usual, the gals swooned over him. Artie rolled his eyes at the sight of it. It almost made him vomit! What was so charming about Lancelot? Maybe girls those days liked jerks that beat up innocent people.

Lancelot held his script and began to read Romeo's lines. The jouster and his girlfriend planned on being Romeo and Juliet, so they can rub their 'perfection' in the students' faces. The couple's perfection was merely an illusion. They never saw their limitations.

"He jests at scars that never felt a wound," Lancelot started as he thickened his emotions, "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?" He made eye contact with the audience; his eyes were filled with passion. He paced to the right, continuing his lines.

"It is the east," He declared as he pointed to the east, and then he raised the same hand upwards, "And Juliet is the sun." The teachers were on the edge of their seats already. Artie rolled his eyes once again. He wasn't really feeling it.

"Arise, fair sun," The jousting captain continued as he raised both of his hands to the imaginary sun in the gym, "And kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid art far more fair than she." He lifted his right hand to the center of the audience where Artie sat. The blonde boy rolled his eyes once again.

_'Show off…'_ Artie thought. He didn't pay attention to the stage anymore, and started looking around the gym. He saw Mr. Fletcher across the gym who was scolding a student for being so noisy. Artie darted his eyes to the right, and saw some of Lance's teammates picking on Nosebleed and Headgear. Arthur then glanced to the right, and saw Lance's 'fan club' hyperventilating. When he decided that the gym was boring as well, he started to daydream. He fantasized about him getting to be Romeo, and Guinevere as Juliet (Even though the diva sucked at acting). He dreamed of Gwen all the time, and of him going to Homecoming court with the beauty. However, Gwen never saw Artie's feelings, and even if Gwen did see it, she merely shunned the boy's feelings.

"Bravo! Bravo!" The headmaster cheered while he was standing up, and clapping for Lance. The whole gym, except for Artie, gave a round of applause because of the captain's spectacular performance. Artie had to admit that Lance's audition was pretty good, considering the fact that the jouster earned a standing ovation from the principal.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Lance exclaimed as he walked around the stage waving at the spectators. He then walked to the center of the stage and took a bow proudly. The jousting captain stood up straight, swaggered down the stage, and out of the gym he'd gone.

"He really gave an astonishing performance!" Mrs. Bennett praised as the principal, and the magic teacher nodded in agreement. They finally sat down, and called for the next student who would amaze the educators and learners once more.

* * *

><p>The gym was nearly empty. The only people who were still in the building were Arthur, Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Fletcher, and Mr. Pynchley. Artie wanted to be the last, so people wouldn't see him making mistakes here and there. He was preventing himself from being an even bigger loser. Mrs. Bennett scanned the whole gym. She turned to the left; no student there, then she turned to the right; no student there either. When she turned to her back, she saw Artie sitting patiently.<p>

"Artie, you're the last one, right?" Mrs. Bennett asked as she tucked some strands of her hair behind her ear.

"Um… Yes ma'am." Artie answered quietly, but loud enough to be heard by the lady.

"Well, don't just sit there. Get on the stage!" Mrs. Bennett commanded with excitement as she pointed to the stage, "I can't wait to see how you act." She finished with her sweet, caring voice. Even if it was past nine, Mrs. Bennett wanted to see everyone's potential to act. Artie stood up, and walked up to the stage with haste. When he was finally on the stage, he flipped through his script, and began to recite some of the lines.

"O, speak again, bright angel," He started. His voice didn't sound strong and heroic; instead it was lovely and cute. It didn't fit Romeo's traits whatsoever. The professors didn't stop the boy from reading his lines. The teachers thought that maybe the young man was trying to set up a climax in the end. However, the climax never came. The blonde boy was still speaking in a very sugary voice. Almost like a girl. When Artie finished, the teachers began to comment on his acting.

"Artie, you have potential in acting, but," Mr. Fletcher paused as he turned to look at his fellow teachers, "It's not fit for the role of Romeo." He finished.

"There's nothing wrong about that," Mrs. Bennett objected, "We'll just have to try different lines from different roles." She suggested. The young lad tried every male role there is in the play, but unfortunately, his acting was too gentle. Suddenly, an idea popped in Mr. Pynchley's head.

"How about you try a female role, Artie?" The headmaster proposed. He knew it was a horrid idea, but it was worth a shot. However, it didn't sound like a bad idea to Mrs. Bennett.

"That's perfect!" Mrs. Bennett exclaimed as she got all enthusiastic about the thought. Instead of Artie getting all excited, he was taken aback. A female role? That's absurd! However, that's what the teachers wanted, and he didn't want to disappoint them, so he had to deliver. He turned the pages to find one of Juliet's lines. Once he found one of the damsel's lines, he began to read.

"What's in a name?"Artie started. His voice was so sweet, the teachers almost tasted it. If that was true, his voice would've tasted like honey.

"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The teenage boy continued. The teachers were soothed by the boy's acting, and as his audition got longer, the educators considered him to be in a female role more and more. When the young lad finished, the teachers were giving him a round of applause.

"You're very astounding, Mr. Pendragon." Mr. Pynchley said, "You may go now."

"Thank you, sir." Arthur said as he stepped down the stage, and walked to the exit. Before he closed the door, he bid the teachers good night. The only thing in Arthur's mind as he went to the boy's dormitories was how well he did (And how beautiful Gwen was).


	2. CHAPTER TWO: THE INJURED FOOT

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I'm sorry that I haven't updated for almost two years now, and I'm so guilty. I lost inspiration that time, and I don't know why I lost it. This time, I'm determined to finish this, because there aren't a lot of Artie/Lancelot fics here, and for once in my life I want to finish at least one story. I hope you guys forgive me.  
>This is my gift for all of you guys. Thank you for reading! :3<br>(Sorry if there are any errors because of my fast typing. I'll fix them as soon as I can.)

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER TWO: THE INJURED FOOT<strong>

Arthur laid down on his bed, alone in the darkness of his room. He thought about Guinevere, her beauty shining with specs of dirt (You know what I mean). He thought about Lancelot and his handsome- snobbish face. Nice save, Artie. The way Lance treated Artie was unacceptable.

Lance's vile acts should have landed him into expulsion, but the blonde figured that the jouster shined so brightly that he blinded the headmaster from seeing his wrongdoings. Maybe Lance wasn't so bad. Maybe it was all in Artie's head. Maybe it was Lance's way of being friendly... A really twisted way. The dork suddenly realized that he was thinking about Lance too much lately, so he decided to think of something else.

He turned to his left, facing the wall. He randomly thought about Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Fletcher, and wondered how were they biological brothers. They looked nothing alike. The first one looked like a pig and the second one looked like a stick. Hmm... Pig and stick. Artie suddenly thought of barbeque, and started to crave for it.

"Darn it, Artie! Stop craving and sleep already!" Artie exclaimed as he tossed and turned once more before he found a comfortable position. And before he drifted to sleep, he secretly hoped that he would get the part of Romeo.

* * *

><p>Lance woke up to the sound of the morning bells, ringing from the south wing. He stretched his arms upward as he slowly opened his eyes, albeit grudgingly. His eyes met the sun's golden rays, and he closed his eyes once more. He grumbled as he sat up. He rubbed his eyes, and realized what day it was. He smirked.<p>

"I can't wait to hear my name!" He exclaimed. _'Lancelot du Lac as Romeo... Hmm... It has a ring to it.'_ He thought. How conceited. Lance already imagined himself rehearsing as Romeo. He imagined himself in front of a big audience being applauded. He imagined flowers being thrown at him. He imagined his inevitable glory and fame. And then he thought of his girlfriend. He admitted that Guin wasn't very talented. She wasn't very smart either. She had the IQ of a rock, but she was gorgeous though. Maybe that's why Lancelot wanted Guin to be his girlfriend. He didn't really look at what Guin really was. Maybe that's how thickheaded Lance was.

It dawned to him that is was another day of picking on that worm. He suddenly felt even more excited than before. He suddenly ached to swat Artie's head with a history book. He looked forward to pick on that loser than to see his girlfriend. Well what can he say? Lance was a bully, and he needed to keep his reputation on point. He can easily find another pretty girl if he neglected Guin, because he didn't really care about her. Just her looks.

Lance stood up and got ready for the eventful day he was about to seize.

* * *

><p>Ten seconds left before the bell rang, Lance threw a ball of paper at Artie from the back.<p>

Nine...

Artie turned to see who did it, but he already knew who it was.

Eight...

The blonde boy saw the jock laughing at him along with Bohort and Lionel, like roosters cackling early in the morning.

Seven...

Artie grumbled and rolled his eyes. Lance then punched his other hand, intimidating the smaller and scrawny boy.

Six...

Professor Primbottom called the dork's attention.

Five...

"Arthur Pendragon, what is eighty-two multiplied by fifty-four?" The professor asked quite bluntly. He was very serious, and very moody at that time. The worst part? Artie didn't even give a drop of attention to the lesson. He gave all of his attention to Guinevere, and she in turn ignored the poor boy.

Four...

"Uhh... Four thousand two hundred sixty-four?" Artie answered, or asked rather, hesitantly. The bullies were still cackling at the back of the class.

Three...

"That is incorrect!" Professor Primbottom said in a serious manner, "And I thought you could do better, Mr. Pendragon."

Two...

The whole class exploded with laughter , leaving the worm silent and greatly humiliated (As usual).

One...

The school bell rang. The students hurriedly shoved their books into their bags and stood up.

"Class, please report to the auditorium!" The professor commanded. Could it be? They were going to announce who made the cut?

Lancelot could almost faint, but he didn't, because he wasn't a loser like Artie. The worm, on the other hand, accepted the fact that he wasn't going to get a role (Even as an extra), because why him? He was a scrawny kid, nothing but a loser, and lower than dirt. A worm, specifically. Unlike Arthur, Guin was pretty confident that she would get the part. Little did she know that her fantasies of her being on top with her boyfriend would end horribly.

Everyone quickly made it outside and into the halls, not without shoving Artie around, left and right just to make their way out. Eventually, poor Artie got pushed into the ground.

No one was left to help him up, and even if someone was with him that time, that person wouldn't pull him from the ground. Who would care for such an unworthy boy?

He helped himself up, picked up his books, and dusted himself off.

_'At least no one is here to laugh at me.' _Artie thought. But at the back of his mind, there was still someone in the room, and he knew it wasn't Professor Primbottom.

"Hey, dweeb!" Artie heard a voice at the back of the class.

"Please, no..." The blonde boy whispered as he turned around to see his predator.

As predicted, the worm saw Lancelot du Lac, the bane of poor Artie's existence.

"What do you want?" Artie said, pouring out all of his false bravery at one go.

"What?" The jouster responded in a serious and angered tone. Artie suddenly trembled in fear.

"Nothing." Artie mumbled as he quickly walked to the door. Before he could fully open the door, Lance pushed it shut with one hand, and leaned on the door. Arthur grumbled and bowed his head.

_'Make him go away..' _Artie pleaded in his mind.

"Hey." The annoyingly handsome boy yelled in anger. Artie tried to ignore the bigger teen, which he barely succeeded in. The longer the prey kept quiet, the angrier the predator got. Lance grabbed Artie's arm and pulled him closer, facing him. The blonde saw Lance's upset expression. Handsome, the dork admitted, but incredibly intimidating, which made him feel even more afraid than he already was. He suddenly shivered, because direct contact with his bully always made him have butterflies in his stomach (The bad kind).

When Artie finally looked up, their faces were practically millimeters away. They looked at each other eye to eye. Lance's warm breath touched the blonde boy's soft pink lips, making him feel more than just fear, but he just couldn't decipher what it was. Lancelot felt something as well. Something he hasn't felt before. Something... magical. He stared deep into the blonde's eyes, seeking answers to what he was feeling. The blonde's vibrant blue eyes put the jouster into a trance, it hypnotized him.

_'I never knew his eyes could be so beautiful...'_ Lancelot thought. He never knew he would think about the worm that way in his entire life. Adrenaline consumed both of the boys so much that they couldn't move, couldn't do anything but stare at each other.

They stared at each other, mesmerized by each other. It lasted a few moments, but it felt like a few hours. Sadly, to the jouster's dismay, Artie broke the trance. He stepped back, breaking eye contact, and wiggled Lance's hand off him.

"I-I have to go." The loser said quietly, and opened the door. But when he opened the door, he accidentally smacked the bully's foot with it! Lancelot howled in pain, and grabbed his foot, trying to make the pain go away.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Artie exclaimed.

Lance looked up, and the dweeb saw fury in his eyes.

"You... Worm!" Lance yelled, and the magical feeling suddenly went away. Artie ran, ran as fast as he could to the auditorium.

"I'll get you for this!" Lance yelled after him, and Artie barely heard him, because he was almost out of earshot.

"He has a strong arm though... Strong enough to hurt my foot." Lance told himself as he let go of his foot, and slowly limped to the auditorium. The only thing in his mind was his inevitable glory as Romeo, which consoled him and his injured foot (And secretly Artie's gorgeous blue eyes).


	3. CHAPTER THREE: WHY HIM!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Here's another chapter for you guys! I hope you guys won't get tired of waiting for me to update. Thank you for the people who actually waited for me to update (It made me feel even guiltier than before). Please leave a review if you enjoy this! :D

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><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE: WHY HIM?!<strong>

The worm panted as he entered into the auditorium. His soaking wet tunic clung to his body, making him look scrawnier than before. His sweat made his hair stick to his forehead. Overall, he looked like a puppy soaked in the rain. As he walked to a vacant seat, some students looked at him funny, others quietly whispered with each other, gossiping about what he looked like. He kept his head down, trying not to attract more attention he already had. He tried to stop thinking about the fury he saw in Lancelot's eyes, and diverted his attention to Principal Pynchley in the middle of the stage. Sadly, he got ignored by most of the student body. Nobody really respected the principal. If they did, the jousters wouldn't be throwing eggs at Pynchley from the towers (They always target his head). The elderly man cleared his throat, and began to speak.

"Attention, students!" He said in a commanding tone. They all piped down, much to his surprise. Usually, the only way to silence them was to bring Professor Bennett to the stage and tell them they'd all clean the courtyard until midnight. Maybe this time the students actually gave a damn to what the headmaster had to say. And they did. They were all excited about the play, and Pynchley knew that.

'I should produce plays every year...' Pynchley thought.

"As you know, there is a play coming up in 3 months," The principal started, "And today, I'll be revealing who made it into the play."

The students cheered, and the auditorium vibrated with glee. The head of the school held his hand up, silencing the students once more.

'Ugh... I just want this day to end...' Artie thought. He also wanted to go to his dormitory before Lance got to the auditorium. He knew what would happen if the jouster caught Artie alone.

"And now... I will announce the names..." And as Pynchley said his last word, the students kept quiet. They were practically on the edge of their seats! Guin already knew the results, so she just got ready to stand, smile, and wave. Arthur didn't care at all, for he knew he wouldn't even be an extra.

'Lance would probably get the role of Romeo...' Artie thought as he suddenly felt concerned for the bully. Where was he? Why hadn't he made a dramatic entrance yet? Artie never knew. Then he suddenly felt scared, and cherished the absence of Lancelot du Lac while it lasted.

Pynchley announced the people who got minor roles first. Name by name, part by part. The longer the announcing got, the more Artie got anxious and scared. What if Lance beat him up again? What if he got shoved into a locker again? He just hoped that the jouster had enough mercy to at least just push him down the ground.

"And now I will be announcing who got the roles of Romeo and Juliet," The principal stated. Suddenly, the students stopped their whispering, and anticipated what came next. Pynchley cleared his throat once again.

"Romeo will be played by-" The entrance to the auditorium opened with a loud bang. It revealed Lancelot, angry as ever. Artie turned pale as he looked down, praying he wouldn't get noticed by the bully. Sadly, Lance knew Artie's physical attributes all too well, so he easily spotted the dork. He gained more anger than before when he saw Artie. The worm felt the predator's hard gaze at him, it gnawed at him, ate him alive. It felt horrible, but he controlled himself from looking up, for looking into Lance's eyes felt worse than feeling his gaze.

"Lancelot du Lac!" The principal continued. Everyone cheered at the jouster, and for a moment , Lance forgot his anger and rejoiced in his glory. He forgot his injured foot, and started walk straight, straight to the stage, waving at the spectators. He smirked at the ladies, and in turn the ladies fainted. Artie looked up, and forgot about his fear, and instead he remembered the ego and pride du Lac had. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. Everyone fell silent again, and waited for the principal to announce. Guin, however, already stood up and just waited for the principal to say her name, with her hand on her hip, and her mouth chewing bubble gum.

"And Juliet will be played..." The dramatic pause caused the students to be on the edge of their seats once more. Lancelot looked at Guin, and winked at her. Then, he looked at Artie. The worm couldn't help himself but look up, and see Lance's vicious, but mesmerizing, eyes. It scared him and lured him in at the same time. He didn't know why he felt like this, but he didn't want to find out.

"By Arthur Pendragon!" The old man finally finished. Artie's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. He got into the play! As Juliet?! The whole student body gaped at the revelation. Some gasped, others wondered. However, most of the students ended up cheering for the boy, especially Xavier and Gary. Lance was flabbergasted. His eyes widened, and looked at Guinevere, who had the same expression. He felt so confused. Why him?! Why not Guin?!

"What?!" Guin shouted as she walked in front of the stage. She looked up at Principtal Pynchley, her eyes pierced him like needles.

"Why him?! Why not me?! I'm perfect for the role, not that loser!" The beauty yelled as she pointed to Artie, who was stunned. The dork couldn't move, couldn't speak. He didn't know how to respond.

'A female role?' Artie thought. Yep. He was done for.

Mrs. Bennett got ticked off by Guinevere's response. It lacked respect. The lack of respect made the lady walk up to the stage, and discipline Guin.

"How dare you talk like that?!" Mrs. Bennett exclaimed, "If you don't know yet, you are not deserving to play as Juliet!" She ended sharply.

Guin felt stunned, confused, and ruined at the same time. She saw her reputation and popularity crumble. She finally revealed her true colors. She wasn't a sweet damsel, she was a wicked witch. Arthur, on the other hand, had been hurt by Guin's words. She never really insulted the dork directly. She usually just rolled her eyes and scoffed, but this time was different. Artie had crossed a line he didn't mean to cross. Hearing the word 'loser' from the witch's lips directly made Artie realize that he didn't really 'love' Guin. He realized that infatuation blinded him. He wasted his time on a foul girl. He suddenly felt empty, and once again, he bowed his head down. But unfortunately, the principal called him to the stage.

"Arthur, please ignore Guinevere's rant and come to the stage so that you can accept your well-deserved glory!" He told Artie. Artie hesitated to go to the stage, but half of the student body urged him to go. Artie finally walked up to the stage, ignoring Guin's fierce gaze at him. It felt worse than Lance's stares. As the worm approached the jouster, his adrenaline shot up, for he saw angry eyes inside the bully's elated face.

'What is Lance going to do to me?!' Artie thought. When he was beside Lance, the whole student body cheered. Surprisingly, Lance put his arm over Artie's shoulders, and waved at the audience, making the students cheer louder. The worm blushed, and once again felt something unusual in his stomach.

As expected, Guinevere yelled so loudly that the whole auditorium silenced.

"You'll regret this, Arthur Pendragon! I will get you!" She shouted at Artie, and he felt afraid. Even more afraid than before. Lance then pulled Artie a little closer, for he sensed what the worm felt. Sure, Lancelot was disappointed that her girlfriend didn't get the part, but he admitted that she wasn't a very good actor, and the jouster knew there was a reason why Artie got the part. Lance didn't like Guin's reaction. The damsel knew that Lance's pet peeve was bad sportsmanship, but she still practiced it. And for the first time in years, Lance actually got pissed because of Guin's behavior.

"No, Guinevere de Galorus, you will regret this!" Professor Bennett started, "For reacting like this, as the guidance counselor, I will put you into detention until the end of the school year."

The whole student body heard the statement, and they immediately silenced. Guin looked so astonished. The disapproving looks from her fellow students made her feel ashamed, even disgusted of herself. She felt so shy. She never felt like this before. The feeling overwhelmed her so much that she ran out of the auditorium, disappointed stares following her.

Professor Bennett huffed at went back to her seat. Dead silence filled the air.

"Uh... Rehearsals will start this afternoon at four. Don't be late. You all may take your lunches now." Pynchley ended. The students stood up and went out the auditorium, heading to the cafeteria. Pynchley, Bennett, and the Fletcher brothers headed to the faculty as a group, and only Lance and Artie were left. The worm tried to step down from the stage, but Lancelot held the loser's shoulders, preventing him to go to the cafeteria. Artie looked at Lance, and looked down.

"Please don't hurt me... I'm sorry I took your girlfriend's place..." He whispered, afraid of the larger teen holding him as captive. The jock merely chuckled, leaving the scrawny boy confused.

"Oh Artie, I'm not upset about that. I know Guin didn't deserve the role," Lance admitted, "She sucks at acting. Everybody knows that."

Artie was surprised at the revelation. He thought that even if Lance flunked in every subject, he still had common sense, although little.

"T-Then why aren't you letting me go?" The worm asked rather innocently. The jouster chuckled once more. He leaned into Artie's ear, and began to whisper.

"Because you injured my foot." He said coldly. The hair at the back of Artie's neck stood up at the sound of Lance's voice.

"See you at rehearsals." The jouster finished. He let go of his prey, walked down to the stage, and out to the door. Before he went out, he turned his head.

"I'll be waiting for you." He told Artie, as if he was trying to scare the loser. He then disappeared into the halls.

"What am I going to do?" Artie told himself as he exited through another door (So he and Lance wouldnt meet) and went to the cafeteria.


End file.
